The woman helping her village battle loneliness

A woman has set up a running group in Worcestershire in a bid to tackle loneliness and bring people together.

Carla Warren, from Hagley, founded Nora, which stands for No One Runs Alone, earlier this year after becoming disillusioned with running herself.

She said people had joined the group for a host of reasons, including bereavement, and described running as "the excuse" for creating a community.

"I have to say running is the excuse and community is the absolute heart of everything we do," she said, adding: "I want everyone to feel included."

According to the Office for National Statistics, about 22% to 27% of adults in Great Britain experience loneliness "often, always, or some of the time".

Warren said some members had turned to the group while going through difficult periods in their lives.

"We've got people running for so many different reasons... and this is what I wanted, bringing people together for lots of different reasons," she said.

"We've got people running through grief... there's a gentleman who sadly lost his wife who runs with us.

"It's given him a community."

Warren said running had also helped her through difficult periods in her own life.

"I have run through grief and trauma but I've also run through joy and it's given me great adventures," she said.

Nora welcomes men and women of all abilities, from experienced marathon runners to those who have only recently taken up the sport.

"Whether you run marathons or have just got started, it's a group for absolutely everyone but with community at the heart of it," Ms Warren said.

The group holds several runs throughout the week, including a "Rise and Shine" at 06:00 BST on Mondays, a lunchtime "Runch" on Wednesdays and its most popular session, the "Sunday Social".

"I have to say, running is the excuse and community is the absolute heart of everything we do," she said, adding: "I want everyone to feel included."

Warren said creating the group had also transformed her own relationship with running after she became frustrated with chasing personal bests.

"Nora has given me so much back. I had got to a place where I'd become fed up with running," she said.

"I'd been chasing PBs [personal bests] and I wasn't getting them. I felt down and I was feeling fed up with it all.

"I started Nora and Nora has genuinely reminded me why I love running, and how much joy comes from it."

Sarah Trigg, who has attended since the group started, said its community spirit encouraged her to get out and run.

"Having an event to go to makes you get out there and I enjoy the company and just being in the local community," she said.

"I was a member from the beginning and I've seen how the group has developed."

Fellow member Paul Johnson said running with the group was "much more fun than running alone".

"It's nice to talk to people and they're a really, really nice crowd," he said.

"Everyone is really welcoming, Carla's wonderful, and it's much more fun than running alone."

Follow BBC Hereford & Worcester on BBC Sounds, Facebook, X and Instagram.